- Date
- February 15, 1983, 08:13 local (15:13 UTC)
- Place
- Aspen, CO
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N33340Cessna 340A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830215004029A
- Case key
- 15971
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Prior to departure the flt was given an IFR clearance which began at herls intersection (16 mi nne) & to cross herls at or above 16,000 ft MSL. Departure arpt field elev is 7,793 ft. flts are required to proceed VFR to the initial fix of the IFR clearance. After takeoff the acft was observed heading NE toward the mountains. Acft departing Aspen usually flya northern heading, then turn NE after clearing the mountains. Witnesses stated that the weather was good in the valley north of the arpt, but the mountain tops east of the arpt were obscured by low clouds. The acft crashed 3-1/2 mi NE of the arpt at the 9,000 ft level of an 11,000 ft mountain. The last time the plt had flown into Aspen was in 1980.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N33340
- Reported as
- Cessna 340A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 340A0529
- Airframe hours
- 724
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-N, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert M. Mccormick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1982
- Destination
- 4CO · South Bend, IN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ASE · Sardy Field, runway 33, 6,001 × 80 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,193 total · 2,624 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ASE, 3 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.